Car trouble

[Smallpotatoes]

Last night, the engine light in my Ford Taurus went on again. It was flashing, which is more serious than when it stays on. I went to the Autozone across the street from where I live and they checked it. The said three cylinaders were misfiring and that it needed a tuneup.
I'm dropping it off with my mechanic on Wednesday. Could it just need a tuneup or could it be something more?

 

[imjustagirl]

You know what, when I saw this thread title I knew it was your thread.

I have nothing to add but that.

 

[Voodoo Chile]

Could be just that it needs a tuneup, but three cylinders misfiring could also mean you need a new coil pack or that you have clogged fuel injectors.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

You know what, when I saw this thread title I knew it was your thread.

I have nothing to add but that.

You know me too well.

 

[kleeda]

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

 

[KG]

This week we have to come up with $800 for a transmission for my husband. That's just for the part itself. He's going to do the work to put it in. We also had a water main break between the meter and the house. The bill was outrageous, not counting the cost of repairs. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I'm feeling a bit frustrated.

 

[lmcmillan33]

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

How does one avoid buying such gas? Do you suggest buying premium instead of unleaded? Or do you suggest that different gas companies have better gas? I don't know much about cars, but 90 percent of the people I know who are more informed simply buy regular gas from whatever station is the cheapest.

 

[sportsguydave]

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

How does one avoid buying such gas? Do you suggest buying premium instead of unleaded? Or do you suggest that different gas companies have better gas? I don't know much about cars, but 90 percent of the people I know who are more informed simply buy regular gas from whatever station is the cheapest.

I sympathize on the car trouble. A week after moving to my new job, the clutch in my Neon - $800 repair bill, which I didn't have after moving and paying rent and utility deposits. Luckily, a friend had an old pickup he let me borrow for now... 18 mpg vs. 35 for my Neon. So I'm paying twice as much for gas ... but at least I have wheels.

As far as bad gas... I think it's always a crapshoot. I'm not aware of any company that consistently has bad gas... and I am not sure buying premium really helps.

 

[OTD]

Last night, the engine light in my Ford Taurus went on again. It was flashing, which is more serious than when it stays on. I went to the Autozone across the street from where I live and they checked it. The said three cylinaders were misfiring and that it needed a tuneup.
I'm dropping it off with my mechanic on Wednesday. Could it just need a tuneup or could it be something more?

A tuneup is kind of a misnomer now. About all that's done is to change the plugs. You might also check the spark plug wires. Cars no longer have distributors and you can't adjust the timing, so that part of the tuneup is gone.

 

[Drip]

Last night, the engine light in my Ford Taurus went on again. It was flashing, which is more serious than when it stays on. I went to the Autozone across the street from where I live and they checked it. The said three cylinaders were misfiring and that it needed a tuneup.
I'm dropping it off with my mechanic on Wednesday. Could it just need a tuneup or could it be something more?

A tuneup is kind of a misnomer now. About all that's done is to change the plugs. You might also check the spark plug wires. Cars no longer have distributors and you can't adjust the timing, so that part of the tuneup is gone.

There is an excellent chance that you have a sensor problem. A mechanic will tell you the difference. Just because your check engine light comes on doesn't necessarily mean that you're having problems.

 

[BTExpress]

Check engine light in my 1990 Lexus comes on all the time. Engine has been checked. It's fine. Well, as fine as an engine with 265,000* miles can be.

Light still comes on, though.



* Rough estimate, since odometer quit working at 214,571.

 

[OTD]

One of the more common reasons for a check engine light to come on is a bad gas cap.

 

[Drip]

I've often found that by switching gas brands, the light will go out. Just sayin...

 

[hacksaw2828]

Last night, the engine light in my Ford Taurus went on again. It was flashing, which is more serious than when it stays on. I went to the Autozone across the street from where I live and they checked it. The said three cylinaders were misfiring and that it needed a tuneup.
I'm dropping it off with my mechanic on Wednesday. Could it just need a tuneup or could it be something more?

I work at a service station part-time. One thing my boss, who has been doing this for 30 years, always tells people: Yellow light means you can drive it....red lights means you have serious problems. Sounds like an oxygen sensor has gone bad or one of the other sensors. Since the car is computerized, any malfunction in a sensor could cause the car to cut off, show blinking lights on the dash or misfire. Sensor usually has to be replaced and usually will cost at least 150 bucks at a minimum. Hope this helps.

 

[finishthehat]

Anyone have a tire-pressure light?

There are two new cars in our family (longish story) and both have had these pressure warning lights come on when the tires seem pretty full to me.

 

[MacDaddy]

Anyone have a tire-pressure light?

There are two new cars in our family (longish story) and both have had these pressure warning lights come on when the tires seem pretty full to me.

Have you actually checked the pressure? Tires will still look pretty normal even with very low pressures.

 

[qtlaw]

Anyone have a tire-pressure light?

There are two new cars in our family (longish story) and both have had these pressure warning lights come on when the tires seem pretty full to me.

Yes, go check the tires carefully. The sensors are pretty dead on.

 

[Den1983]

Anyone have a tire-pressure light?

There are two new cars in our family (longish story) and both have had these pressure warning lights come on when the tires seem pretty full to me.

True. You never know with those things until you actually check the pressure. Looks can definitely be deceiving in this case.


Have you actually checked the pressure? Tires will still look pretty normal even with very low pressures.

 

[FileNotFound]

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

How does one avoid buying such gas? Do you suggest buying premium instead of unleaded? Or do you suggest that different gas companies have better gas? I don't know much about cars, but 90 percent of the people I know who are more informed simply buy regular gas from whatever station is the cheapest.

Don't buy premium unless your car specifically requires it. And unless you drive a turbo or a very high-performance machine, it doesn't.

Do buy from a name brand. All gas comes from the same place; most of the difference is the level and quantity of additives. Car geeks generally believe Chevron and Shell are the best; the other national brands are all just fine.

There is such a thing as "bad gas." My personal experience is that RaceTrac (found all over the southeast, usually 10 cents a gallon less than everybody else) is the worst. About once a year, a conversation in my house goes something like this:

Wife: "My car's running like ****."
Me: "Where'd you last get gas?"
Wife: "RaceTrac."
Me: (waiting)
Wife: "I know, you said 'Never buy gas at RaceTrac.' I forgot."

And then she makes me drive her car the rest of the week.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

How does one avoid buying such gas? Do you suggest buying premium instead of unleaded? Or do you suggest that different gas companies have better gas? I don't know much about cars, but 90 percent of the people I know who are more informed simply buy regular gas from whatever station is the cheapest.

Don't buy premium unless your car specifically requires it. And unless you drive a turbo or a very high-performance machine, it doesn't.

Do buy from a name brand. All gas comes from the same place; most of the difference is the level and quantity of additives. Car geeks generally believe Chevron and Shell are the best; the other national brands are all just fine.

There is such a thing as "bad gas." My personal experience is that RaceTrac (found all over the southeast, usually 10 cents a gallon less than everybody else) is the worst. About once a year, a conversation in my house goes something like this:

Wife: "My car's running like ****."
Me: "Where'd you last get gas?"
Wife: "RaceTrac."
Me: (waiting)
Wife: "I know, you said 'Never buy gas at RaceTrac.' I forgot."

And then she makes me drive her car the rest of the week.

It's one thing if the gasoline you put in your car is a little cheaper, but make sure that it's a well-visited station. Seldom-used places can have issues with water in the gasoline due to being in the underground tanks for too long. Try putting water in the gasoline nozzle in your vehicle and tell us how badly it struggles.

As for tires, looks can be deceiving, particularly those with extra-stiff sidewalls. Sometimes the tires can look fine, only to measure 10-15 pounds low when tested with a pressure gauge.